DC elites were thrown into a tizzy when Trump won two years ago and looked perplexed as he laid out his America First vision during his inaugural address. This refusal to confront the reality of Trump isn’t likely to dissipate when Democrats take power in the House. How’s that for a prediction?

By now President Trump realizes it’s not fun being in the White House, but nobody ever claimed it'd be easy (except for maybe him). It took decades for the Washington establishment to control government and they won’t be vanquished without a long battle. Trump is up to the job.

Talk will continue on possible ways to fix the shattered American political system but in today’s highly divided culture and society, a workable solution doesn’t appear evident. If neither side seems willing to compromise, there are good reasons for it. Conservatives won’t get their hopes up.

President Trump’s decision to withdraw from Syria will certainly draw more than its share of comment even at this calm (from a news standpoint) time of year. Christmas presents a chance to ponder the concept of peace on earth, goodwill towards men -- never more so than in 2018.

Life without Donald Trump as president wouldn’t be as clear cut wonderful as liberals would have you think. Saturday Night Live can do all the ridiculous skits in the world and it still doesn’t change the fact we’re living in a complex place and it requires capable people to lead. Trump fits the bill.

Few conservatives will miss Bill Kristol’s The Weekly Standard now that it’s gone. The defunct publication was a glaring example of how not to conduct a successful enterprise; by alienating those inclined to support them, the magazine guaranteed its own demise. Let’s hope the same fate doesn’t befall Trump.

When government oversteps its bounds there’s invariably a popular uprising to combat it. Be it the Boston Tea Party in 1773, the modern-day Tea Party movement or this year’s anti-gas tax protests in Paris, the people don’t take it kindly when political elites dictate and condescend.

If Republican ruling elites are truly terrified over Trump’s threat to shutdown the government, they must accept it’s their own inactions that brought on the confrontation. They can use the coming days to salvage a little dignity and give Americans a Christmas gift -- a big beautiful wall protecting them.

With the downing of Obamacare last week Republicans now have a golden opportunity to make something worthwhile out of the last days of this lame duck session. With budget talks stalled over the border wall there’s something new to talk about and accomplish if they’ll only take advantage.

If you look close enough Republicans don’t need an “autopsy” or excessive soul-searching to indicate what party candidates should do ahead of the next election. A thorough reexamination of conservative principles and proposals would do the trick nicely…and while they’re at it, select new leaders too.

President Trump’s orchestrated negotiation session with Democrat leaders the other day was a stroke of brilliance. Politically speaking, Trump can’t lose here: if he gets money for the wall it’s another campaign promise fulfilled. If he doesn’t, he can run against the stagnant DC swamp again in 2020.

Trump will need to work harder than ever to steal media attention away from the certain-to-be-fascinating Democrat presidential primary race in 2020. The crazy and eclectic cast of Democrats are destined to provide entertainment of the highest order. Will Americans tune in or tune out?

It's unfortunate that one bad apple like Jeff Flake can spoil the whole bunch (in this case, President Trump’s judicial nominees). Even worse, there are tons of equally sour fruits in the nation’s capital, begging for a swamp draining mission of epic proportions. Is Trump up to the task?

The list of Donald Trump’s former staffers is growing by the day and his swampy establishment enemies swear the body count is a sign of instability and danger. But the sun will rise tomorrow and the administration forges on, another non-boring day in the life of the Trump presidency.

President Trump could face a struggling economy in 2020, but there are ways to ensure things run smoothly when the moment arrives. Keeping interest rates low, encouraging clean natural gas production and repealing federal control of the legal drinking age might help the GOP.

There’s little doubt cultural changes in the past half century have made a significant difference in all of our lives. Some changes are good, others not so much. But time doesn’t wait and it’s in everyone’s best interest to accept that tomorrow will not look like today. For many, it’s a blessing.

Donald Trump would do well to remember George H.W. Bush’s example but stay true to himself and what got him elected president. Trump could make it all his own by pounding the fiscal responsibility angle ahead of the 2020 election -- and he’d likely avoid Bush’s one-term fate.

The one-week rhetorical ceasefire in the battle over border wall funding will make little difference in the scheme of things. Both parties’ leaders have treated illegal immigration as a political hot potato for decades. Sooner or later something must be done -- or migrant caravans will keep coming.

Political scholars are only starting to decipher the lasting political legacy of George H.W. Bush. His death may speed deliberations but it will be years before Bush’s full impact is appreciated (or condemned). For now, it’s enough to say Bush was a fine man and dedicated public servant.

Trusting anyone on a complex issue such as climate change is a difficult proposition. Liberal big government proponents don’t care about the environment as much as they desire to manipulate and control human behavior. Don’t be fooled; never surrender your common sense to anyone.